Zucchini: Planting And Care

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Zucchini is good for everyone - both as a separate dish and in combination with other vegetables and fruits. Try canned zucchini with cherry plum - they taste surprisingly like pineapples, but with a hint of spiciness. And a separate merit of the vegetable is that it is cold-resistant, unpretentious and generous for large fruits

Temperature regime and irrigation

Zucchini are not only cold-resistant, but also hardy in relation to dry periods. However, there are some nuances that gardeners should consider. Despite the fact that short-term cold snaps do not harm zucchini, during frosts they can die - whatever one may say, but they still prefer warmth. And the seeds of zucchini germinate at an air temperature of at least + 10 ° C. And the most suitable weather for plant growth is the one in which the thermometer fluctuates between + 18 … + 24 ° С.

Zucchini is called a bush pumpkin. And, probably, it owes its kinship with this melon culture to its ability to endure drought. But at the same time, since the famous water-bread-cucumber is also present in this family, hot weather will still cause the leaves of the squash to stick and hang, and the fruits to lose the turgor of the shell. Therefore, so that the zucchini does not become flabby, you should not check them for resistance, and on hot days, do not spare watering, especially during flowering and during the period of fruit formation.

Site selection and soil cultivation for zucchini

Zucchini love the sun and long daylight hours, therefore they grow well in late spring and summer, when at 4-5 am it is already light enough, and the sun hides behind the horizon closer to the night - around 21-22 pm. In addition, the plot itself in the garden, where it is planned to plant zucchini, should be open to the sun. With a lack of lighting, the growth of the culture slows down, the quality of pollen deteriorates.

It is also recommended that the zucchini area be sheltered from the wind. Once you know the prevailing wind directions in your area, it is not difficult to establish such protection. Or you can plant zucchini near buildings on the leeward side, but so that the beds do not fall into the shade.

Zucchini will grow together in the company of squash, cucumbers, in other words - with other pumpkin crops. But planting after them in the second year is no longer worth it. According to the rules of crop rotation, at least 3 years must pass before they return to their previous beds. It is better to sow zucchini after potatoes, legumes, root crops. The exception to this rule is beans and carrots, as they can be affected by white rot, which is their common enemy with pumpkin crops.

Zucchini works best on nutrient-rich, loose soils. The place for planting in the fall must be processed by the method of deep digging of the soil. Like cucumbers, zucchini are big lovers of organic matter. Therefore, for introducing manure into the soil, they will thank the caring gardener with a rich harvest. Fertilizer is embedded in the soil at the rate of about 5 kg per 1 square meter.

Seeds or seedlings?

Zucchini are convenient in that they can be propagated both through seedlings and by sowing seeds directly into the ground. But you should be prepared for the fact that the consumption of seeds in the open field will be greater, since several seeds are placed in each hole, so that at least one of them will germinate for sure. If everyone hatches, you still have to leave the only, strongest plant.

Experts note that with the seedling method, almost half of the seed is saved, which is a lot, given that the shelf life of pumpkin seeds is about 5-10 years. Another advantage of the seedling propagation method is that it allows you to get the first crop a week or two earlier than when the plants are sown directly into the ground. So if novice gardeners have not yet mastered this method, it is worth working on it.